Intravascular foreign matter suction assembly

Abstract

An intravascular foreign matter suction assembly is insertable into a blood vessel having a relatively small diameter and exhibits a high suction force. The intravascular foreign matter suction assembly includes a combination of a guiding catheter for being inserted to an ostium of a coronary artery of the aorta and a suction catheter inserted in the lumen of the guiding catheter and extending farther than the distal end of the guiding catheter for removing foreign matter in a blood vessel which exists at a target location in the coronary artery. The suction catheter includes a tubular portion provided on the distal end side and a wire portion provided on the proximal end side of the tubular portion and wherein the wire portion has a distal end embedded in a wall which forms the tubular portion.

1. An intravascular foreign matter suction assembly for sucking foreign matter existing in a blood vessel, comprising:
 a guiding catheter including a distal end and a proximal end and forming a lumen extending from the distal end to the proximal end, the guiding catheter configured to be inserted into a blood vessel until a position on proximal side of a target location in the blood vessel is reached; 
 a suction catheter comprising a tubular portion provided on a distal side of the suction catheter, the tubular portion including a distal tube end and a proximal tube end, and a solid wire portion provided at the proximal tube end of said tubular portion and having a distal end embedded in a wall which forms said tubular portion, and wherein said suction catheter is configured to be inserted in said lumen of said guiding catheter and said tubular portion is configured to project outwardly beyond the distal end of said guiding catheter for removing foreign matter existing at the target location in the blood vessel; 
 a negative pressure generating device connected to the proximal end of said guiding catheter; 
 wherein said guiding catheter has a minimum inner diameter greater than a maximum outer diameter of said suction catheter by at least 0.05 mm and no more than 0.15 mm; and when said negative pressure generating device generates a negative pressure, the foreign matter and the blood existing in the blood vessel are sucked only through an opening at the distal end of said suction catheter but are not substantially sucked through the distal end of said guiding catheter. 
 
   
   
     2. The intravascular foreign matter suction assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the total length of said tubular portion and said solid wire portion of said suction catheter is greater than that of said guiding catheter by a length which is at least 50 mm but no more than 400 mm. 
   
   
     3. The intravascular foreign matter suction assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said negative pressure generating device is connected to the proximal end of said guiding catheter by a branching connector. 
   
   
     4. The intravascular foreign matter suction assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the distal end of said suction catheter has an obliquely cut shape. 
   
   
     5. The intravascular foreign matter suction assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said suction catheter has a radiopaque marker in a vicinity of the proximal tube end of said tubular portion. 
   
   
     6. The intravascular foreign matter suction assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said guiding catheter has a radiopaque marker in a vicinity of the distal tube end of said tubular portion. 
   
   
     7. The intravascular foreign matter suction assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein an outer surface of said tubular portion of said suction catheter has a lubricative coating. 
   
   
     8. The intravascular foreign matter suction assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein said tubular portion of said suction catheter is more flexible than the distal end of said guiding catheter. 
   
   
     9. The intravascular foreign matter suction assembly according to  claim 1 , further comprising a distal end protective catheter inserted in said tubular portion of said suction catheter and having a length sufficient to extend farther than the distal end of said suction catheter. 
   
   
     10. The intravascular foreign matter suction assembly according to  claim 9 , wherein said distal end protective catheter is formed from a tubular portion on the distal end side and a wire portion on the proximal end side. 
   
   
     11. The intravascular foreign matter suction assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein an inner surface of the lumen at the distal end of said suction catheter has a tube having a lumen for inserting a guide wire therein and having an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of said tubular portion of said suction catheter.